The-Dance-with-Death
by Tahiti-Boater
Summary: Brandon Baratheon is the only child of Cersei and Robert Baratheon. Loved by his father and loathed by his mother. When the royal family go to Winterfell. Brandon felt an attraction for Aeria Stark daughter to Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn But Lions, Stags And Wolves aren't a good combination. Especially in such treacherous times as these. With cold winds rising in the North, and ce
1. The-Fire-That-Burns-Against-The-Cold

Brandon 

"Your fighting technique is unique, better than your brother's style." Me and Robb Stark were sparring as Ser Rodrik Cassel and many others observed. Most being lesser Lords and Hedge Knights.

"Joffrey has a technique? I just thought he'd bash the sword against yours in hopes you'd yield ." I laughed. Stark and I were both good sword fighters, I was stronger and faster but Robb was smart and tactical, I was tall and strong for my age, so was my father and his father before him. Grand Maester Pycelle estimated me to be at near enough six feet, I was taller than Lord Eddard at only eleven. I grew faster than other children. With my height and strength being greatly better than Joffreys, I held the ancient bastard Sword. Heartstone. The sword was heavier than a Valyrian Steel sword but just as sharp, It had a bright red ripple throughout the blade. It was brought back from Yi Ti by a trader who gave it to my father as an offer of peace between one of the many God-Emperors and Westeros. My father gladly accepted but he never used swords, nor his hammer anymore.

"Well let-." Robb was interrupted by someone, the voice seemed familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"Robb! The Kings going hunting in the Wolfswood, and he'd be honoured to have you accompany him." Aeria Stark pushed through the crowd, she was nigh the height of me, with long flowing dark hair of House Stark and Tully blues eyes from her mother, she was born with her sister Sansa but they were not twins. Sansa took all the Tully traits and next to none Stark traits but Aeria took both.

"And you, my prince. He wants you also." She said nervously, bowing, a smile curved upon her lips.

"It would seem like His Grace would like to drink and hunt himself into an early grave." I said grinning, Robb smiled and placed his sword onto the rack on which there was an array of weapons ranging from hammers and spears, to swords and daggers but they were more blunt than Joffrey's mind.

My uncle Ser Jaime Lannister was tasked with guarding me for this day.

"I saw you fight the day before well done, my prince." Aeria pushed in between me and Ser Jaime.

"No fight, My Lady just sparring is all."

"Well, it was well fought and for someone of your size it would be easy." Many mistook me for the age of sixteen, even though my mother and father weren't acquainted at that time.

"I am not a man grown yet, scarcely younger than you if I am not mistaken." Aeria stood a head and a half taller than her sister, very tall for a girl or woman for that matter, who knows perchance giants blood is awakening in everyone.

"How old are you then, if you are younger than me?" Aeria asked, blue eyes shining like crystals.

"Eleven, my name day was a few months past My Lady." Aeria has a look of expectance and surprise.

"My fathers to become the Hand of The King. I hope I go south with him, I would love to see Kings Landing." She said.

"Im sure you would My Lady, and I know that you would love the southern winds it is calm and warm, and the sea is beautiful, nothing could compete, though I'm sure someone next to me could give it a run for it's dragons." Her face turned beet red.

"W-Well return safely from your hunt. My prince." She walked away, towards other ladies before they shared a giggle between them.

"May have a scar or two if the boar gets his way." I shouted to her, wether she heard me or not I could not say.

"Robb! Get over here!" I shouted at him he stood a few feet away before hurrying over.

"My sister likes you." Robb laughed.

"You don't say."

"For the last time! I don't need an escort!" My father shouted at Ser Meryn.

"Her grace is worried for yo"- Ser Meryn was interrupted by the King

"Her Grace! Has no say in this matter!" He was stubborn for sure.

"I'll have the Greyjoy boy, my sons, Clegane and Ned and his son, the bastard can come if he wants. Hell even the eight year old can come!" He finished his horn of beer. Probably drunk.

"Ah, there you are, Lannister! Go fetch your sister and tell her that her King! Must speak to her." Uncle bowed and left the room without a word

"We're hunting for boar. Boy! Give my son his sword!" He shouted at his squire Lancel Lannister, surrounded by Lannister's he'd said once.

I accepted the sword in its scabbard,

"Here, drink." My father passed a goblet of wine.

"I'm not thirsty." I said giving the goblet back to him.

"Drink. Your fat shit of a father commands it." He said half seriously half jokingly.

"And you, Stark." He gave a glass of Arbor wine to Robb. He nodded and took the glass.

Joffrey and The Hound entered, with Theon Greyjoy of The Iron Islands.

"Where's my father?" Robb asked Theon.

"He didn't want to come. Neither did Snow."

"Very well, I'll take a few of my men. Just in case some sell-sword thinks he can scare me into giving him a purse of gold. Now let's get ready." Robert stood from his seat and grabbed his spear.

"We've found nothing, perhaps the noise from our travel scared them off." Ser Gared suggested, he was the captain of Roberts household guard. He had a large white beard and a bald head.

"Winterfell is miles southeast. There's been much more noise and the wildlife has was always been teaming ." Robb said, he knew the wolfswood better than everyone here.

"Look over there." Theon pointed towards a river. A horse laid dead in the water. And a man as well.

"Seven Hells." Father muttered

"He was stabbed in the throat, you can see the dried blood. Greyjoy! Check if he has a sigil." He commanded, Theon checked his body, he was a man of late fifties, with a balding head and a thick matted beard

"No banner but he's wearing black. The Night's Watch colours." His 'black' cloak looked more grey than black

"No one would risk their heads killing someone this close to Winterfell, especially a member of the Night's Watch. Unless-."

"-Wildlings." Robb finished

"Turn back!" I ordered

"They're wildlings we could take them!"

Joffrey said, he was the idiot here, he's never been in a fight, and much less a sword fight.

"Aye, there's ten of us and who knows how many of them!" I half whispered half shouted. I thought for a moment devising a 'plan'.

"Stay. I'll lure them out wait for a signal you'll know when you see it." I said rising from my spot.

"Don't try and be a hero, son." One of the guards said.

"I'm not. I'm doing it because I'm bored." I lied and walked towards the dead body, the mans flesh was like curdled milk, his face was empty and the smell was horrid.

"Don't move, pretty Lordling, or a spear goes through your neck." A voice said from behind.

"Really?" I said putting my hands on my head and stood slowly before turning to the face that held the spear, he was a young man. This was his first time doing this I could tell.

"You have a very memorable and distinctive face, I think it would look pretty decorating the battlements atop the Red Keep, I'm sure, my father, the king would say so too." I said slyly.

He darted his eyes around the woods, about twenty five other men came out from the shadows.

"Now that is just not nice." I said grabbing my sword from my back and within the blink of an eye, my sword was coated with red, the mans head went rolling into the river. Warm blood sprayed out onto my face from the stump on where his head had been. I nodded back to where everyone was. And they all rose from the hiding spot.

"Winterfell!" Robb shouted, his sword unsheathed and high in the air.

"Storms End!" Ser Gared threw his spear into one of the bigger wildlings and cut the straps off his large cloak.

"For Robert!" The other men shouted their swords ready to meet the wildlings' accumulation of weapons.

Theon sat atop a rock firing arrows into mens bodies, one of the smallest men's came running towards me with a bronze double sided axe, too heavy for him to wield properly, he swung it down towards me, slowly, enough time to dodge. It ended up logged inside a fallen over tree. As he tried to wriggle it free I thrust my sword through his back, spilling blood over his axe. Minutes past and most of our men had fallen until it was just me, Robb, The Hound, Ser Gared and my father, Joffrey was there also but he didn't even lift his sword and Theon with his bow.

"Robb take those two on the left and You, Ser Gared take those four! Dog, escort Joffrey back to Winterfell and send riders here, me and Father will take those five!" Of course I decided me and my father would take the biggest. They all done as I told without hesitation.

My father drove his spear into one of them and broke off the spearhead from his back and shoved it into the throat of another, he got knocked down by the largest men who was almost as tall as he was. The man had the longsword that one of his personal guard owned. The men I was fighting were big, ugly and strong, I kicked one in the chest, winding him and stabbed my sword through his windpipe before lodging my sword through the others skull, I quickly rescued my sword from his head and ran to my father who was on the ground, using the handle of an axe to block the blow from the wildling. The Wildling noticed me and clashed his sword with mine, he bashed down on it, not even a dent appeared on the metal I managed to get free of him and got cut from my shoulder to elbow, it hurt but in the heat of the moment I never noticed. I blocked his attack from my left and miraculously. His Steel shattered the man looked at me in shock while I starred at him with the largest grin in the Seven Kingdoms. Before opening him from shoulder to abdomen.

"Well done, Brandon." My father said helping me sheath my sword.

"There's nothing like a woman after a fight." My father laughed, Theon jumped from his rock.

"This one tried to kill me." Theon dragged a small girl, she had silver hair, not like a Targaryen hers was more pale, like snow.

"Mercy milord, mercy!" She cried pleading on her knees to my father.

"That there is the King! You say Your Grace when spoken to! Do you understand!" Theon picked her up by the front of her coat, as tears streamed down her face

"Yes, yes!" She sobbed. Wildling or no, this was painful to watch.

"Greyjoy! Let her go!" I commanded he let her go and she dropped onto her back.

"What's your name?" I asked kneeling down to her level.

"Sylvi." She said starring at the ground

"You'll want to burn them, so they don't come back." She blurted out.

"What do you mean?" I asked with visible confusion.

"They'll come back, eyes like a blur burning wood, and no other thoughts other than to attack." She said the wood she must've been referring to was Ironwood which burned bright blue. There was a silence before Greyjoy laughed.

"I say you should put her in the Winter Town brothel, people there need a little bit of an imaginative girl." Theon picked her up by the hair

"I shall do no such thing. We take her back to Winterfell with us and we'll let Lord Stark judge." I stood as a sharp pain shot through my left arm, where I'd been cut.

"This will need looking at." Blood ran down my arm and dripped off my fists and blended with the dirt and and water on the ground.

I picked up the shattered sword and it's fragments and sat on a rock, examine the blade and my steel.

Within the hour horse came rushing with men of the Kingsguard and Stark, Eddard and Jon Snow were at the front along three Dire Wolves, one white, one grey and one brown. And... Aeria Stark. To my surprise

Woman usually aren't involved in these sorts of things. But Lord Eddard was different than other men, or so I'd been told.

"Robb!" Aeria jumped from her horse and hugged him tightly.

"We were outnumbered, near enough three to one. Brandon saved the King." Robb looked at me, I was still sitting atop the rock examining the broken sword.

"This was castle forged." I said.

"And this sword-." I unsheathed it with my right arm

"-Broke it, tell me do you know any steel that could do such a thing my Lord" I said sitting up revealing the bloody gash down my arm.

"The Prince is hurt!" Aeria exaggerated Ned ignored her but acknowledged the arm and the sword.

"Yes. I do."

"Take the prince back to Winterfell, Aeria, you can take care of his wound, Maester Luwin Will want to see that sword of yours." He said.

"Ah Ned you should've seen it. Me, my son and yours. Just like the old days. Gods I still have it" He laughed embracing Eddard in a hug.

"This is no joke Robert, this many Wildlings this far South from the Wall."

"Ser Gared get these men's bodies to their families and get them a proper burial. Jory, double the amount of patrols around the Wolfswood and send a Raven to Deepwood Motte commanding them to do also. And this Wildling?" Ned barked orders. The Alpha of the pack.

"This is your land. You will decide what is to done with her except from anything that involves removing her head from her shoulders." I picked her up gently by the hand.

"Very well, when we return to Winterfell get her a hot bath and a warm meal she can help as a serving girl. But there will be no feast tonight, I'll take my meal to my study, Brandon, once you've had that arm looked at come see me." As Ned finished talking. The ruby on the pommel of my sword glowed, I touched it, It burned but there was no physical mark on my hand. It faded between the glow and its normal look. With every beat of my heart it glowed with the heat of a volcano.


	2. Rivers-blood-and-swords

Brandon

It had been a few weeks since the incident in the Wolfswood.

We were at the Crossroads inn, a few miles North of the Ruby Ford, where the Targaryen rule in Westeros had really come to an end.

We met uncle Renly and Ser Barristan at the inn. But what was on my mind was what Lord Stark told me in his study back in Winterfell. He said that his sister Lyanna Stark was held captive in a tower in Dorne, Ned brought seven of his men against three of Aerys' Kingsguard. Ser Arthur Daynes sword Dawn broke Ned's sword, and had it not been for the Crannogman, Howland Reed, he would be dead.

I had asked how Dawn was forged and what metal, only answer I got was, that it was forged from the heart of a fallen star. Not from Lord Stark but from some book about Lords and their lineage and sigils.

"My prince, your father has the need to see you." Ser Barristan woke me.

"Tell my father I shall be with him within the hour." I said rubbing my forehead. I had much too much drink last night and I felt it.

After I had bathed and put my yellow, red and gold garments on. I left the room and entered the heavily crowded common room. I immediately recognised my father as his booming voice and tall stature set him out from everyone else, he was sitting with Ned Stark, Renly, Joffrey, Sansa and Aeria.

"Your grace." I fixed my hair and sat next to Renly.

"I was just telling them how I killed him." Although he never said the name I knew who it was. Rhaegar Targaryen.

"The Targaryen dynasty died with its dragons." I picked a lemon cake from a vast array of cakes and biscuits.

"There are still three out there. One is serving at Castle Black. A frail old Maester. And... read this." Father passed a roll of paper.

"Mark of the Spider. So this Daenerys girl has wed some Dothraki horselord." I threw the roll on the table

"A hundred thousand Dothraki in her husband's army. She won't want me sitting on her father's Throne. Neither will her brother Viserys."

"A hundred thousand you say? Doesn't seem likely maybe forty or fifty thousand at most." I finished the cake and picked up a oat biscuit.

"The narrow sea stands between us and those Dothraki. They are no threat to the realm until they cross. Which they won't." Eddard said putting his tankard on the table.

"Perhaps but if there's even a chance they could cross it. It's a chance we cannot take." Renly disputed.

"I say we kill her." Joffrey said.

"No one asked you." I said to my older brother. As the argument got more heated, father spoke.

"Enough! We'll speak no more of the Targaryen until we get back South." Father lowered his voice.

"If you'll pardon me, my Lords." Sansa stood from her seat.

"Of course Sansa." Lord Stark excused her.

"You look very gallant today, my prince." Aeria said with a shy smile. Attempting to make conversation.

"And you look lovely as always." I smiled back at her.

"So, is there going to be a tourney?" I asked anybody.

"No." Lord Eddard said cold as ice.

"Yes." Father said at the same time.

"So, who's going to compete? Uncle Renly?" I asked though Eddard wasn't so keen on a Tourney.

"Yes, I have my own armour fashioned." He flicked back his jet black hair.

"Aeria, where's Arya?" Eddard asked her. Wanting to hear no more of Tourneys, Targaryens or marriage.

"I don't know, most likely digging at the Ford." Aeria shrugged.

"You should take your Wolf down river also. I'm sure my son would be glad to accompany you." Father chugged a horn of Ale or wine, perhaps beer? Which, I could not say.

"Would I?" I stated rhetorically.

"Yes you will." My father put down his horn.

"Well in that case, i guess I shall be honoured to accompany you. My lady."

The sun was high above the ground at this point, not near midday, but perhaps not far from it. Me and Aeria talked and shared a skin of wine. With her massive brown beast lopping behind us.

"What is his name?" I had asked her once.

"Thunder." She said before I let out a laugh. Of course that was a few days past.

"Thunder, to me." She called to him he came to her side. The wolf stood next to her, emerald green eyes fixated on me. Then he walked away from her towards.

"Thunder, here!" Aeria commanded to no avail. The wolf was half an inch from me. I kept my breathing steady but I was terrified. But there was nothing to be afraid of it sniffed at me and licked my hand before lying at my feet.

"Traitor." Aeria huffed.

I got on one knee and patted the Wolf pup, though it was the same size as the biggest hounds in the Red Keeps kennels. It frightened everyone and everything. Even my father felt wary around them.

The Dire Wolf rolled onto its back And panted heavily.

Aeria sat on the grass, stroking the wolf's fur.

"He likes you." Aeria said with a cute smile.

"Jealous?" I smirked.

"Mayhap-." Aeria was interrupted by a loud scream.

"What's that?!" She asked. I studied my surroundings.

"I have multiple death wishes so I'll check it out." She shoved me for saying that.

"That's not funny!" She shouted.

"As my lady commands." I grinned.

Thunder had already sprinted towards whatever was happening.

"Arya!" A girl shouted, not any girl. Sansa Stark.

"What in seven hells is happening!" I demanded though no one seemed to notice my presence. Everything had seemed a haze, a fat ginger boy ran by. Joffrey was swinging at Arya.

With live Steel.

I reached for my sword on my back. Yet there was naught point. I had left it.

Then Arya fell and Joffrey held his sword to her face. But that was definitely a mistake. The two Dire Wolves- - Nymeria And Thunder - had knocked Joffrey down and tore at both his arms.

"Nymeria!" Arya shouted at the wolf it stopped as did Thunder. Arya's Wolf walked towards her as if nothing happened but Thunder stood over him baring teeth, Arya grabbed his sword and threw it into the river, before running into the woods with the massive beast. Aeria had tried to run after her but I grabbed her arm stopping her.

"I'll kill that beast!" Joffrey shouted tears streaming down his face.

"That beast nearly killed you." I laughed though Now was probably not the best time.

"Thunder! Here!" I shouted not expecting anything to happen yet he cane strolling toward me and sat at my feet.

"Sansa could you help my brother?" I said knowing the obvious answer.

"Aeria I have to speak with you." I walked towards the river.

"You know, They'll probably kill Thunder." She'd hoped for something else. Yet as satisfying as it was to see Joffrey get his ass handed to him there was a price.

There's always a price.

"No, please, convince your father! Please!" She knelt. Her eyes shimmered in the light. Tears were forming and fell onto her cheeks.

"It's not my father I'm worried about. It's my mother. If anything attacked her precious Joffrey. She'd have it killed. And there's enough animosity here as is. Listen I'll send twelve men. Five of my own guard and a few other sellswords. I'll get them to send him to Winterfell. He'll be safe with Robb and your mother." I sat beside her on the now muddy grass. The wolf licked at her tears. It seemed to know what was happening.

"Okay, okay. Just promise me he'll be safe." She looked up from the river and sobbed into my shoulder.

"I will." I held her in my arms.

Search party after search party were after Arya Stark and the Wolves over the course of the past three days. I had Thunder in a cage en route Winterfell. It had only costed eight gold to pay the Sell swords, the guards went without charge yet I handed everyone a few extra gold for provisions and a few strong horses.

Ned Stark led the Stark search party, yet the Lannister's were also on the hunt. Aeria and Sansa were kept in their rooms.

I had led a party of my own looking for Arya. To escape questioning from my mother or father. But me and Lord Stark were too late. My mother's men had gotten her first. We rode back to Castle Darry where Father took seat for the time being. I walked with Ned and Jory Cassel, -the Captain of the Lords Guards- towards the castle after dismounting.

"What is the meaning of this! Why wasn't my daughter brought to me at once!" Me and Ned pushed through the crowded hall. If you could even call it that.

"I'm sorry Ned I never meant to frighten the poor girl. And I had your other daughter brought here." Aeria stood next to my mother , her hair a tangled and untidy mess, she had been woken with haste.

"But I needed the truth of what happened so we can put this behind us." My father stood from Lord Darrys l seat, nothing like the Iron Throne.

"That daughter of yours and the butchers boy attacked my son and beat him with clubs and then when they grew bored of that she sset her wolf on him. Then your other daughter found it funny and set her wolf on him. They nearly tore off his arms." She was lying. Aeria's face was red with anger

Lannister's, scheming and lying.

"That's not what happened! He was hurting Mycah." Arys kicked the air.

"She's lying. She threw my sword in the river." Joffrey said in retaliation.

"Liar!"

"Aeria never found it funny! The Wolves protected Arya. Joffrey stood over her with sword in hand. Had it not be for them, who knows what would've transpired." I told truth. My mother sighed, and tilted her head. As if she came up with another plan.

"Don't lie for these Starks the only reason you're speaking for them is to fondle her tits and get in her cunt." My mother had always hated me. Yet loved her blonde children.

"Enough. You say she threw your sword in the river?" Father turned to Joffrey.

He nodded. Renly chuckled.

"You let that little girl disarm you? You, a Baratheon your brother killed four men. three times her size!" Renly's chuckle had now turned to full blown laughter. He had been escorted out.

"But what shall be done? Joff will have these scars for the rest of his life." My mother spoke after silence.

"She should be punished." Mother added on.

"What will you have me do whip her through the streets!? Damnit children fight, it is over!" Father was prepared to leave.

"Ned discipline your daughter, I'll do the same for my son."

"Gladly, Your grace." Eddard was about to bring the two girls to their chambers.

"And what about the Wolves? What about the beasts that savaged your son."

"I forgot about the damn wolf." Father muttered. He turned to the Lannister Captain.

"We found no traces of the Dire Wolves, Your grace." Yeah because some had arranged for one of them to be taken away shit for brains. I chuckled at outsmarting them.

"Very well." My father started to walk away.

"They have another." No, fuck. Lady was Sansa's Wolf I would've spoke in defence of the wolf but a heavy wave of tiredness had washed over me. I hadn't slept for three days. I could've collapsed there and then had I spoke any longer.


End file.
